****new release list no.265

The “Release of the Week” is a part of this blog that I have gotten away from for the most part. Certain weeks it is a challenge to strongly suggest you watch anything but the pretty blue sky. However, I am going to highlight certain films a bit that I think you’ll all enjoy in one way or another. This week I am going with THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS, the film that will always be known as Heath Ledger’s final movie.

Thinking of Heath made me contemplate other great talents that left us early in the film world, and so I present to you, my top seventeen movie stars that died young.

Adrienne Shelly – The writer, and actor who made THE WAITRESS, was tragically murdered right after that film was made.
River Phoenix –Man, I still can’t believe this one…
Marilyn Monroe – She was only 36 when she died of an overdose.
John Candy – Died at 43 of a heart attack.
James Dean – My gosh; he was 24 when he died in a car accident.
Leslie Howard – He was 50 when he was shot down from the sky during WWII
Judy Garland – 47, drugs.
Carol Lombarde – 33, airplane crash.
Natalie Wood – She was 43 and just finishing the film BRAINSTORM when she drowned in very suspicious circumstances while sailing with Robert Wagner and Christopher Walken. Alcohol definitely played a role.
Bruce Lee – 32, accidental OD. And we really must remember his son Brandon who died young, too.
John Belushi – He was 33 when he OD’d. Thanks drugs!
Andy Kaufman – This super kook was 35 when a rare form of lung cancer took him.
Chris Penn – Drugs were involved, but they say Sean’s little brother died of an enlarged heart.
Jayne Mansfield – She died in a car accident at 34
Gilda Radner – Ovarian cancer took this brilliant comic actor at 42.
Sal Mineo – James Dean’s co-star in REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE and GIANT died of a stabbing wound in a robbery at 37.
Heath Ledger- On the verge of superstardom died of an apparently accidental overdose.

I am sure I missed many important ones…please comment here, on the blog any important actors whose early deaths were especially tragic to you.

Hey, on a positive and evolutionary note. It just occurred to me that Assembly Bill 2254, the taxation of Marijuana bill, introduced by our very own Tom Ammiano and on the California State ballot in November, has a great chance of passing. Because most people either smoke pot casually, or recognize that it is less harmful then alcohol, or just want it to be taxed to help bring our state and country out of debt. So, I have decided to bring it up here and there. And here!

So remember to vote YES in November. Moderation is the key to life, people. With all things.

Love and Kisses,
Ken

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............//RELEASE OF THE WEEK//............

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS.****BD****
Fantasy/Drama/Sci-fi.
Christopher Plummer/Heath Ledger/Johnny Depp/Colin Farrell/Jude Law/Lily Cole/Tom Waits.
Directed by Terry Gilliam.
* The “Imaginarium” is a device the good doctor has that enables people to enter their imagination and make certain dreams come true…ah, but it is dangerous in the imagination, as we all know, and things don’t always go as planned. Actually, the Imaginarium itself isn’t really focused on much in this fantastical film, thought the images we see while inside are extraordinary, and remind us of other visually stimulating images from Gilliam’s wild films. Actually, the film mostly revolves around Dr. Parnassus’s really bad judgment, especially regarding his dealings with the Devil (played wonderfully as usual by Tom Waits). He, like so many others before him, has made a deal with the devil that has gone poorly, and continues to go poorly. Currently, it sees Parnassus contemplating the loss of his beautiful daughter (Lily Cole) to give the Devil his due, and what a lucky devil he is! In truth, we will never know what this film was supposed to be, because Heath Ledger, fresh off his enormous success in THE DARK KNIGHT, died tragically during the making of this film. His character is a sort of wrench in everyone’s plans, which represents the chaotic element of life and he generally does what he pleases, annoying everyone involved. After his real-life death, Colin Farrell, Jude Law and Johnny Depp were hired to play him in separate scenes inside the Imaginarium. The effect is fine, if not perfect, but it leads to more questions about the original intention, and gives the film a slightly maudlin vibe making it a sort of homage to the actor instead of a stand alone piece of art. In any case, it is worth seeing just to marvel a bit at all the skilled acting, and to give huge props to Christopher Plummer (THE SOUND OF MUSIC!) for continuing his magical career.

............//NEW RELEASES//............

DISGRACE.
Drama.
John Malkovich/Jessica Haines.
Directed by Steve Jacobs.
* Adapted from the novel by J.M. Coetzee (“Waiting for the Barbarians”), this film concerns the politics of life in South Africa, as a teacher (Malkovich) attempts to rehabilitate his life and reputation by moving away from Cape Town where he got into trouble for having an affair with a student.

DISTRIC 13: ULTIMATUM.****BD****
Action/Sci-Fi/Foreign (French).
David Belle.
Directed by Patrick Allesandrin.
* More super action filled cops and robbers in French (Ou est la bibliotheque?) in this blood pumping sequel to 2004’s DISTRICT 13. In that one, no ultimatum. This time, they are a bit more definitive.

FIVE MINUTES OF HEAVEN.****BD****
Drama/Crime.
Liam Neeson/James Nesbitt.
Directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel.
* Well-acted film about former UVF (Ulster Volunteer Force; a loyalist paramilitary group in Northern Ireland) member Alistair Little (Neeson) who served 12 years for the murder of Jimmy Griffin who he shot in front of Jimmy’s little brother Joe. Now it is another 25 years later, and a media program has arranged a meeting between Joe and Alistair ostensibly to see them make up and move on. However, Joe has other revenge-oriented plans. This film won awards on the circuit, including the Best Director award at Sundance last year.

44 INCH CHEST.****BD****
Crime/Drama.
Ray Winstone/Ian McShane/Tom Wilkinson/John Hurt/Stephen Dillane/Joanne Whalley.
Directed by Michael Venville.
* It’s kind of a buddy film, if your buddies thought that killing someone they’ve kidnapped would help you get over some problem you’re having…like say you’re partner is cheating on you with the bloke they want you to kill.

LA FRANCE.
Drama/Musical/Romance/War/Foreign (French).
Sylvie Testud.
Directed by Serge Bozon.
* A woman who receives a letter from her soldier husband during the first World War telling her that he is leaving her packs up and heads to the front lines to find and confront him.

THE FUGUTIVE KIND.
Criterion/Drama.
Marlon Brando/Anna Magnani/Joanne Woodward/Maureen Stapleton.
Directed by Sidney Lumet.
* Sidney Lumet, whose long and illustrious career includes 2007’s BEFORE THE DEVIL KNOWS YOUR DEAD made this film in 1959. Based on Tennessee Williams' play "Orpheus Descending” the film is about a drifter who gets involved with two lonely ladies in a small town in Mississippi.

GEORGIA O’KEEFE.
Fictobiopic.
Joan Allen/Jeremy Irons/Tyne Daly.
Directed by Bob Balaban.
* This historical film focuses on the relationship between the famous painter and her hubby, photographer Alfred Stieglitz.

THE IMAGINARIUM OF DR. PARNASSUS.****BD****
* See Release of the Week above.

IT’S COMPLICATED.****BD****
Comedy/Romance.
Meryl Streep/Alec Baldwin/Steve Martin/John Krasinski/Zoe Kazan.
Directed by Nancy Meyers.
* I kind of doubt that it is. He loves her, but she loves him. And he loves somebody else, you just can’t win. And so it goes, and on and on, as J. Geils sang it back in the 80’s. However, since all of these actors are awesome, this is probably a funny little romantic comedy.

PEACOCK.
Suspense.
Ellen Page/Susan Sarandon/Cillian Murphy.
Directed by Michael Lander.
* An accident exposes a quiet man and his community to his secret personality, the woman who cooks and cleans for him.

RIDE WITH THE DEVIL.
Criterion/Drama/War.
Skeet Ulrich/Tobey Maguire/Jewel Kilcher/Jeffrey Wright/Jonathan Rhys-Meyers/Jim Caviezel.
Directed by Ang Lee.
* Ang Lee, who has successfully made films in nearly every genre out there, made this Western in 1999 that is now being given the Criterion treatment. It’s about a couple southern young men who get caught up in the Civil War. They join a guerrilla-type battle force that spends its time picking off Yankees.

THREE KINGDOMS.
Action/Drama/History/Foreign (Mandarin).
Maggie Q/Andy Lau.
Directed by Daniel Lee.
* The story of a modest man who joins the military during a time of civil war and rises to become a great commander and leader.

............//DOCUMENTARY/............

FIVE YEARS ON MARS.
Science/Nature.
Directed by National Geographic.
* This documentary about the two NASA rovers Spirit and Opportunity that lasted on Mars gathering data from 2004 to 2009, (far longer then they were expected to last) was nominated for an Emmy last year when it premiered.

THE UNQUIET DEATH OF JULIUS AND ETHEL ROSENBERG.
Intrigue.
Directed by.Alvin Goldstein
* This is the first DVD release of the 1975 film about the trial and execution of these two so-called “Atomic Spies”.

WHY WE LAUGH: BLACK COMEDIANS ON BLACK COMEDY.
Comedy Doc.
Angela Bassett/Bill Cosby/Bill Bellamy/Many Wayans/Katt Williams.
Directed by Robert Townsend.
* There is much standup comedy, as well as lively discussion in this documentary about black comedy, and what it means to be a black comedian.

WILLIAM KUNSTLER: DISTURBING THE UNIVERSE.
Documentary.
Directed by Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler.
* From the imdb: William Kunstler was one of the most famous lawyers of the 20th century. The New York Times called him "the most hated and most loved lawyer in America." His clients included Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, Phillip and Daniel Berrigan, Abbie Hoffman, H. Rap Brown, Stokely Carmichael, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., and Leonard Peltier. In Disturbing the Universe: Radical Lawyer William Kunstler, filmmakers Emily Kunstler and Sarah Kunstler explore their father's life, from middle-class family man, to movement lawyer, to "the most hated lawyer in America."

............//KIDS/............

AZUR & AZMAR: THE PRINCES’ QUEST.
* More amazing animation from Michel Ocelot (PRINCES AND PRINCESSES, KIRIKOU AND THE WILD BEAST) from a modern master of this genre.

MISTY SHEEPDOG TALE: HELPING PAW.

ROBIN HOOD.

THE SPECTACULAR SPIDER-MAN: V08.

............//NEW ON BLU/............

ARMAGEDDON.
* Boom boom.

DUNE.
* I love Sting in this movie. “I will kill him!” Dude rocked. Like: here and here.

TOMBSTONE.
* Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliot, Bill Paxton, Charles Heston, Powers Booth!

............//REPLACEMENT DISCS/............

AMERICAN MOVIE.
* Poor guy.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE RETURN OF THE KING (PLATINUM SERIES SPECIAL EXTENDED EDITION).
* Jet Li taking off.

30 ROCK: SEASON ONE.
* Just another copy, thank you.

****

****new release llist no.264

This week, the biggest money making film of all time, and some really great films have arrived at Four Star Video!

First off, so you don’t get too too confused. AVATAR is coming out on Thursday, April 22nd, which is Earth Day, and I guess Mr. Cameron feels like this is a patriotic film, and releasing it on Earth Day will send a message to all the other planets in the solar system, and the greater universe. That’s right, Martians! If you have a fuel source, we will come and take it from you. Right from your dying green hands. So, don’t mess with Texas!

Okay, then. So Avatar comes out Thursday, is the point of this early ramble.

The usual release day, Tuesday, will see Jeff Bridges in his Academy Award winning performance as Bad Blake, the country singing, hard drinking has-been in CRAZY HEART. Co-starring the very compelling Maggie Gyllenhaal, and Robert Duvall and Colin Farrell.

THE LOVELY BONES stars Mark Wahlberg and Rachel Weisz as parents of a murdered teenager who narrates the film from the afterworld. With Stanley Tucci as the killer and Michael Imperioli as an investigative detective.

In THE YOUNG VICTORIA, the future Queen Victoria (Emily Blunt) generally looks really good, dresses really good, and comes into an awful lot of power at a very young age. With Rupert Friend as her cousin/friend/husband.

There are also a trio of new releases on Blu-ray, MINORITY REPORT, THE BASKETBALL DIARIES, and FIST OF LEGEND.

There are a bunch of interesting films you’ve never heard of this week. Try CLOUD 9 for a love story involving passionate sex for the over-60 crowd. Or THE HORSE BOY for an inspiring documentary about a family dealing with a child with autism. How about BIG HEART CITY, my friend Ben’s film about a young man trying to find his missing girlfriend. Or MAMMOTH, starring Gael Garcia Bernal and Michelle Williams, or SECRET SHORTS, featuring short films from around the world, or maybe THE WEATHERED UNDERGROUND, in which you the viewer make decisions for how the plot will unfold, or PROM WARS, which will take you right back to that confusing awkward age as a rich beauty at an all-girls school in the Hamptons. There’s more, scroll down to read, including a batch of kids releases as well.

Alrighty then, see you down at the store.

Love and Kisses,
Ken

PS.

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............//NEW RELEASES//............

AVATAR.NOT IN STORE UNTIL THURSDAY ****BD****
Sci-fi/Action.
Sam Worthington/Zoe Saldana/Sigourney Weaver/Giovanni Ribisi/Michelle Rodriguez/Stephen Lang.
Directed by James Cameron.
* Did you see Pocahontas? Well, imagine her painted blue on a planet where the animals and vegetation can communicate through nerve endings in their hair follicles and there is a lovely and most incredibly wonderful fuel source buried beneath their feet. Okay, now, stick with me, people. John Smith (from Pocahontas) is a paraplegic, but…but, he has a very vivid imagination and excellent face paint and can pass as an Indian, I mean Native American, I mean Na’vi, (ahem) and can help the military, I mean miners, I mean settlers, I mean Americans, I mean earth people, become friendly with the natives and smoke the peace pipe, I mean make friends, I mean lie and manipulate the kind blue hippies into saying, Yo, it’s cool, dig up the big life-giving tree that our peoples have worshiped for ever and ever and enables us to communicate with our dead ancestors so you can dig up that awesome fuel source and bring it back to earth, no problem! But wait, there’s more! John and Pocahontas fall in love, remember? So John is not on the side of the imperialists anymore, see? He’s drank the Kool-Aid and applied for a life time pass from the Blue People. Which they are liable to grant, if only his mean, angry, armed, violent, American boss won’t come in like a lactose intolerant sugar hound in a vegan bakery and just go completely crazy messing up all his plans to learn how to play the conga and mind meld with the local fauna. And that, in a nutshell, is what this movie is about!

BEGINNING OF THE END.
Sci-Fi.
Peter Graves.
Directed by Bert Gordon.
* Classic 1957 Sci-fi horror movie.

BIG HEART CITY.
Drama/Indie.
Shawn Andrews/Seymour Cassel.
Directed by Ben Rodkin.
* Ben Rodkin’s directorial debut has great significance for me. Ben was the Production Manager on my feature film, HUMANS BEING, and went to Los Angeles to make movies. Lo and behold, he made one and here it is. I saw this film, it is really awesome, slow and weird and emotional in a quiet and intimate way. In Ben’s own words: “A recidivist horse better in search of his missing girlfriend discovers that though circumstances seem to indicate that something horrible has occurred, something entirely beyond his control, the reasons for her puzzling disappearance could lie squarely with himself.”

CHEECH & CHONG: HEY WATCH THIS.
Comedy.
Cheech Marin/Tommy Chong.
Directed by Christian Charles.
* I guess this is technically a documentary following the 2009 Cheech and Chong “Light Up America” (okay) tour.

CLOUD 9.
Drama/Romanc (German).
Ursula Werner/Horst Rehberg.
Directed by Andreas Dresen.
* Very moving and tasteful story about an older couple falling in love and having a passionate sexual relationship.

CRAZY HEART.****BD****
Drama.
Jeff Bridges/Maggie Gyllenhaal/Robert Duvall/Colin Farrell.
Directed by Scott Cooper.
* Bridges won Best Actor this year for his portray of Bad Blake, a down on his luck country music singer, driving from one beaten gig to the next barely gripping his whiskey in one hand and his guitar in the other. Blake meets Jean (Gyllenhaal, nominated for Best Supporting Actress) who is a small town journalist and agrees to an interview with her. Jean is a single mom, with a 4-year-old son and a stated desire to not keep making the same mistakes. Unfortunately, she can’t help herself and falls for Bad, keeping Bad company for a little while (but not til the day she dies – she doesn’t actually die, I’m just quoting rock lyrics here, guys). This film is a character study about an older drunk barely keeping it together. It’s not necessarily a great film, but it is very believable, everyone in it is terrific, and the story moves along at a nice even pace. Duvall plays a bar owner and old friend of Blake’s who want to help him get his shit together, and Farrell plays a big-time country star who got his start with Blake and is now his somewhat rival.

EX DRUMMER.
Comedy/Crime/Drama.
Dries Van Hegen.
Directed by Koen Mortier.
* Dries (Dries) is a famous writer who is asked to join a struggling band to help them achieve their dream of rock stardom. He leads them on a demented journey into rock hedonism and punk rock desolation.

THE KOREAN.
Action/Foreign (Korean).
Josiah D. Lee.
Directed by Thomas Dixon.
* The Korean is a professional killer, called in to erase four associates of a crime boss who have betrayed him and arranged his imminent arrest.

THE LOVELY BONES.****BD****
Drama/Suspense.
Saoirse Ronan/Stanley Tucci/Mark Wahlberg/Rachel Weisz/Susan Sarandon/Michael Imperioli.
Directed by Peter Jackson.
* From the very popular book comes this film about a 14-year old that has been killed and is watching over her family from heaven. Marky Mark and Weisz play the girl’s parents, who are increasingly distant following the murder. Imperioli (Christopher, from THE SOPRANOS) plays the detective and Tucci was nominated for an Academy Award for his portrayal of George Harvey, the killer.

MAMMOTH.****BD****
Drama.
Gael Garcia Bernal/Michelle Williams.
Directed by Lukas Moodysson.
* This film is about globalization, in a way, and how has affected the modern family. Leo and Ellen (Bernal and Williams) are a married couple living in New York. They have a Filipino maid who is closer to their daughter then they are. Meanwhile, she has children back in the Philippines who miss their mother as they are living with their grandmother. Eventually, Leo goes abroad for work and struggles with competing desires for the global business life of luxury, and his need to get home to his family.

PROM WARS.
Comedy.
Ricky Ullman/Rachelle Lefevre/Chad Connell.
Directed by Phil Price.
* This teen comedy is about an all girls school filled with beautiful young women who challenge the boys at multiple prep schools to competitions to see who will get to take them to the prom.

SECRET SHORTS.
Short Films
Melissa Leo.
* This is a collection of short English language films from the USA, UK and Australia....

SUMMER HOURS.
Criterion/Drama.
Juliette Binoche.
Directed by Olivier Assayas.
* This recent film (getting the Criterion treatment!) is about three adult siblings dealing with their families belongings after their mother’s death. It is kind of a story about possessions and how they do or do not define us in the context of legacy.

UNCERTAINTY.
Drama/Suspense.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt/Lynn Collins/Assumpta Serna/Olvia Thirlby.
Directed by Scott McGehee and David Siegel.
* This experimental tale (in the vein of RUN LOLA RUN) is about the different choices we make and the potential lives we could live as a result.

VIVRE SA VIE.
Drama/Criterion/Foreign (French).
Anna Karina/Sady Rebbot/Monique Messine.
Directed by Jean-Luc Godard.
* This B&W 1962 French film follows Nana, a Parisian woman who becomes a prostitute. The story is told with 12 separate mostly unconnected shorts.

THE WEATHERED UNDERGROUND.
Action/Drama/Fantasy/Thriller.
Michael Ciriaco/Brea Grant.
Directed by David Donihue.
* This is a movie that is like those “choose your own adventure” books where you make choices between things which affect the plot of the film. It looks pretty awesome.

THE YOUNG VICTORIA.****BD****
Biography/Drama/History/Romance.
Emily Blunt/Rupert Friend/Miranda Richardson.
Directed by Jean-Marc Vallee.
* From the director of one of my favorite films (C.R.A.Z.Y. – So good!) comes this costume drama about the early days of the eventual Queen Victoria. Nominated for a few Oscars (and winning one) this film focuses on the romance between Victoria and her first cousin and future husband Albert.

............//DOCUMENTARY/............

THE HORSE BOY.
Doc/Medical.
Directed by Michael O. Scott.
* This beautiful story of a family and their autistic son focuses on relationships between humans and other animals in an attempt to find relief from the issues related to autism. The Isaacson family travels to and through Mongolia in an attempt to find a mysterious shaman to help them heal their son.

............//KIDS/............

BERT AND ERNIE’S GREAT ADVENTURE.

HANDY MANNY: MANNY’S BIG RACE.

JACK & THE BEANSTALK.

K-20: THE FIEND WITH TWENTY FACES.

MY DAD THE ROCKSTAR: CALL OF THE WILD.

WHERE’S SPOT AND OTHER STORIES: 30th ANNIVERSARY EDITION.

............//NEW ON BLU/............

THE BASKETBALL DIARIES.
* One of Leonardo DiCaprio’s first big roles came as Jim Carroll in this adaptation of Carroll’s famous book chronicling his drug addiction.

FIST OF LEGEND.
* Jet Li taking off.

MINORITY REPORT.
* One thing extra interesting in this Tom Cruise film is the cool futuristic way that advertising is aimed at individuals on the billboards as they go by…isn’t that basically how it works on the internet? Philip K. Dick is prescient once again.

****

****new release list no.263

Hey, Happy Colette Day! What’s that you say? Colette Day? What’s that? Oh it’s just a little choose your own reality holiday my family celebrates. We’ve been celebrating it each April 12th for 14 years now! The holiday is about assessing your surroundings, and being happy for what you have. It is celebrated any way you want to, but basically it is a sort of metaphysical Thanksgiving. And so I give thanks!

I give thanks for the great luck of having a brilliant wife who still likes me 17 years later, and for having two gifted and loving kids. I give thanks to my parents and sisters for their friendship and love and bravery in the face of life. I give thanks for friends that have helped support me through the more challenging times. I give thanks for the members of my band who help me express myself without the cumbersome weight of spoken language. I give thanks for my neighborhood, and the nearly indescribable beauty of living the small town dream in one of the most cultural cities in the world. I give thanks for my health, for the ability to continue walking (limping) and seeing (squinting) and smelling and tasting and hearing the world around me. I give thanks to the blades of grass that push their way through the concrete, to tadpoles that become frogs. I give thanks to the countless who died trying to eat artichokes before someone finally steamed it and pulled off the yucky leaves and dipped the bottoms of the yummy leaves in melted butter. I give thanks to poets, and story tellers and dreamers of dreams! I give thanks to the improbable, the insignificant, the lonely, obscure, the feeble, the meek, the quiet and unrecognized. I give thanks to the ripe mango, the stinky cheese, the cows, chickens and pigs that don’t make the decision to become my food. I thank my 5th grade teacher, the 8th grade bully, and my 3rd grade self. I thank the store staff, the customers, the blog readers, the grateful, the ungrateful, those full of love and joy and the willingness to share them both. And lastly, I thank my friend Colette, for without her amazing, delicate and decisive will to live I might not have lasted through my teens. Thank you Colette, wherever you are.

Shucks, the Wild Flower walk was rained out on Sunday. However, we have rescheduled it for this Saturday, April 17th at 11am. Again, meet at the Southern Gate up on top of Bernal Hill. Rachel Kesel will walk us around and point out the pretty flowers up there. Afterward, we’ll serve refreshments at Succulence. More details can be seen here or here.

PIRATE RADIO is one of a small batch of new release DVD’s this week. It is a comedy starring Philip Seymour Hoffman about a group of DJ’s living on a boat off the UK and broadcasting rock illegally in 1966. Rock! Also, some beautiful nature docs out this week are DISCOVER PLANET OCEAN featuring 13 hours of underwater photography, and AFRICA’S LOST EDEN about the restoration being done on Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park. Scroll down to read more about the movies.

Last week one day I started chatting with Jennifer Joseph, a Bernal Heights resident and local business owner. She told me a bit about her publishing company that she has been running for 26 years, Manic D Press. I was pretty fascinated about her experience, being a huge book person myself, and when she left I was curious to hear more. Imagine, then, my surprise in stumbling into this article about her on SF Gate on Saturday. Congratulations Jennifer, and thanks for exposing the world to some great poets and storytellers.

Alrighty then, see you down at the store.

Love and Kisses,
Ken

PS.

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............//NEW RELEASES//............

CRAZY ON THE OUTSIDE.
Comedy.
Tim Allen/Ray Liotta/Carrie-Anne Moss/Sigourney Weaver/Kelsey Grammer/Jeanne Trippelhorn/J.K. Simmons.
Directed by Tim Allen.
* Goofy comedy about an ex-con (Allen, in his feature film directorial debut) dealing with life out of jail, and the challenges it presents.

DEFENDOR.
Comedy/Action.
Woody Harrelson/Sandra Oh/Kat Dennings/Elias Koteas.
Directed by Peter Stebbings.
* This tragicomedy is about a normal guy (Harrelson) who comes to believe he is a superhero (such a challenging distinction). Man, this reminds me of that character on Hill Street Blues in the 80’s who thinks he is a superhero. Remember that guy? I think he came to an unhappy end. Anyway, Harrelson is supposed to be terrific in this film.

KAPO.
Drama/History/War/Criterion/Foreign (Italian and German).
Susan Strasberg/Laurent Terzieff.
Directed by Gillo Pontecorvo.
* This is part of the Essential Art House collection from Criterion. It is a 1959 film about a young girl in a concentration camp who becomes a “kapo” a prisoner in the camp who gets a job to basically spy on the other prisoners in their section in return for food and clothing and a slightly better chance of survival. The film is harsh and realistic and was nominated for Best Foreign Language film at the Oscars in 1961.

PIRATE RADIO.****BD****
Comedy.
Philip Seymour Hoffman/Tom Sturridge/Bill Nighy.
Directed by Richard Curtis.
* This fictitious tale has some roots buried in truth, but is best taken as just a rollicking good time. It is the story of a ship in 1966 fighting the union broadcast rules against playing rock and roll on the radio by anchoring in international waters and broadcasting rock 24/7 to the adoring British public. This movie kind of proved to me that some movies, even if they are formulaic, somewhat trite, and utilize over-used plot devices are still fun! This film is a pretty fluffy comedy, but made me laugh quite hard for much of the tale. And the music is right on.

THE SLAMMIN’ SALMON.
Comedy.
Michael Clarke Duncan/Kevin Heffernan/Jay Chandrasekhar/Steve Lemme.
Directed by Kevin Heffernan.
* This movie is from the acting troupe Broken Lizard (SUPERTROOPERS, BEERFEST). This one is about a restaurant owner who is a retired boxing champ who is now deep in trouble with the mob (the Japanese Yakuza). He challenges the wait staff to sell as much food as possible in one night with the winner promised 10,000 cash and the loser a beating at the hands of the boss.

............//TELEVISION/............

THE LOVERS AND FRIENDS SHOW: SEASONS ONE AND TWO.
Drama/LGBT.
* This show is like a cross between NOAH’S ARC and THE L WORD, basically following the lives and loves of six African-American lesbians and has become a bit of a cult sensation.

............//DOCUMENTARY/............

AFRICA’S LOST EDEN.****BD****
Nature.
Produced by National Geographic.
* Have you noticed that the National Geographic documentaries have really been strong lately? Nature is awesome. This doc is about Mozambique’s Gorongosa National Park and the restoration that has been done there after a long civil war decimated much of the area.

DISCOVER PLANET OCEAN: THE WORLD BENEATH.
Nature.
* This four disc set is filled with 780 minutes of underwater footage.

............//KIDS/............

BAKUGAN: BATTLE BRAWLERS CHAPTER ONE.
* My 8-year-old LOVES this…

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE: MYSTERY IN THE MIST EDITION.
* This reminds me of my friend, the well-known superhero Mister Mystery.

THE MADELINE MOVIE: LOST IN PARIS.
* As opposed to my friend Joe, who’s “lost in autumn.”

SESAME STREET: LOVE THE EARTH.

TOM & JERRY TALES: SEASON ONE.

............//NEW ON BLU/............

NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET.
* I never saw this. I think it is about a street ordinance involving parking in a business district and a very angry store owner who takes on the city.

****

****new release list no.262

It’s close to midnight, and I am still working today. Well, the sun was shining, and it was a pretty fine day in the neighborhood, so I’m not complaining. I just spent a week in NY where it was rainy and cold and lovely and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and life was popping out all over. Sometimes it takes a cold grey city to remember how irrepressible nature is. I love the spring, no matter where I am.

There are a bunch of movies this week, and some of them look pretty cool, but there are no blockbusters, in stark contrast to the last month or so, and especially to two weeks from now when we get CRAZY HEART, THE LOVELY BONES, AVATAR and YOUNG VICTORIA. Don’t be confused, though, that is NOT this week. This weeks we have THE YES MEN: FIX THE WORLD, THE BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS, PARTY DOWN (television), THE LORD OF THE RINGS on Blu-Ray, and some other off the beaten track stuff. Scroll on down to read about it.

The flier at the top of this post is for Succulence’s first event of the spring. Long time Four Star customer, international activist and all around great person Rachel Kesel is leading a Wildflower walk on Bernal Hill. We will have snacks at Succulence afterwards. The start time is 11am, and it will be canceled if its raining hard. Read Rachel’s blog here.

Hey how about some culture? It turns out that a Bernal neighbor, Katita Waldo is retiring from dancing with the San Francisco Ballet – now is your last time to see and support her as she ends this portion of her career. Even if you don’t know her, the ballet is a pretty amazing thing to see. Get details here.

Incidentally, there is a Led Zeppelin song linked in the blog below, and I strongly suggest if you have a moment, to click it, and turn up the volume and let the music take you away for 4 minutes and 35 seconds, I really think it will be worth it.

Alrighty then, see you down at the store.

Love and Kisses,
Ken

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............//NEW TITLES//............

THE BAD LIEUTENANT: PORT OF CALL NEW ORLEANS .
Action.
Nicholas Cage/Eva Mendes/Val Kilmer.
Directed by Werner Herzog.
* I hear this is a pretty good remake-ish film about a bad cop on the take. But my friend Eric thought a really great sequel to the original would have been THE BAD POPE about a cussing, gangster pope…No? Bad idea? Yeah, I’ll shut up now.

BOY CRAZY.
Shorts/LGBT.
* Six funny, romantic, dramatic and poignant short films about gay men.

THE LORD OF THE RINGS: ORIGINAL ANIMATED CLASSIC.
Fantasy/Animation/Gollum (and the evil one, crept up and slid away with her, her, her yeah).
Directed by Ralph Brakshi.
* This 1978 version of the incredible kids books is actually the only one I ever saw! Filled with very little star talent (save John Hurt as Aragorn), and old school animation, this is a pretty great film. On this release, it has been given the once over.

SHALL WE KISS?
Comedy/Romance/Foreign (French).
Virginia Ledoyen/Emmanuel Mouret/Julie Gayet.
Directed by Emmanuel Mouret.
* A very theatrical tale of a whimsical romantic encounter.

YESTERDAY WAS A LIE.
Drama/Noir/B&W.
Chase Masterson/Kipleigh Brown/John Newton.
Directed by James Kerwin.
* Neo-Noir (which I hope catches on) film about a young woman on a mission. This film won a lot (like 11 or something) awards on the film festival circuit.

............//DOCUMENTARY//............

CANYONLANDS.****ALSO ON BD****
Documentary/Nature.
* Have you been to the canyon lands? Ranging from south Nevada to west Colorado and including northern areas of Arizona and New Mexico. Canyonlands National Park is in Utah and contains some of the world’s most breathtaking beauty in its rugged and desolate landscapes.

DIRT!
Documentary/Humus/Crushed rock/Sand/Clay.
Narrated by Jamie Lee Curtis.
* This doc takes a look at the ground beneath our feet.

PLUNDER: THE CRIME OF OUR TIME.
Documentary.
Wall Street/Side Streets.
Directed by Danny Schechter.
* From Amazon: A hard-hitting investigative film by Danny Schechter. The “News Dissector” explores how the financial crisis was built on a foundation of criminal activity uncovering the connection between the collapse of the housing market and the economic catastrophe that followed. To tell this story Schechter speaks with bankers involved in these activities, respected economists, insider experts, top journalists including Paul Krugman, and even a convicted white-collar criminal, Sam Antar, who blows the whistle on intentionally dishonest practices.

THE YES MEN: FIX THE WORLD.
Documentary/Comedy/Political Commentary.
Written/Directed/Produced by Andy Bichlbaum and Mike Bonanno
* In their follow up to 2003’s THE YES MEN, Andy and Mike create more havoc by exposing people in power who are up to no good.

YOUSSOU NDOUR: I BRING WHAT I LOVE
Documentary/Music.
Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi.
* This doc takes a close look at 20 years of fame in the life of Senegalese musical sensation Youssou Ndour.

............//TELEVISION//............

LUCY CALLS THE PRESIDENT.
Television/Comedy.
* This is a Lucille Ball Special about Lucy, calling…the President.

PARTY DOWN: SEASON ONE.
Comedy.
* I’m not sure about this show that appears to be starring the actors who’ve played supporting roles in many recent films. I think it is about a catering crew or a restaurant staff. Not sure, but I will say this, everyone on this show is young and attractive, so it has that going for it.

THE UNUSUALS.
Television/Cops/Dark Comedy.
Jeremy Renner/Amber Tamblyn.
* Dysfunctional cops in NYC…ha ha ha.

............//NEW ON BLU//............

DREAMSCAPE.
* Dennis Quaid, Kate Capshaw and Christopher Plummer starred in this somewhat campy 1980’s era thriller about a nutty professor who sends bad guys into people minds...

THE LORD OF THE RINGS TRILOGY.
* 9 discs, 557 minutes of pure Elven ecstasy.

THE NATURAL.
* Harriet: Are you gonna be the greatest? – Roy: Not without steroids, or some strong western medication.

THE PROTECTOR.
* This Thai action extravaganza is about this protector dude who protects people.

............//FAMILY//............

GNOMES AND TROLLS: SECRET CHAMBERS.

MY FRIENDS TIGGER AND POOH: SUPER DUPER SUPER SLEUTHS.

SESAME STREET: BEING GREEN.
* Uh…

WOW WOW WUBBZY: WUBBZY GOES GREEN.
* I just edit jokes in this section.

............//NEW ADDITIONS//............

THE GODTHUMB.
* Another brilliant thumb parody, this one skewering THE GODFATHER, with Steve Oedekerk as the Godthumb.

............//REPLACEMENT DISCS//............

NORTH AND SOUTH.
* Patrick Swayze period piece from the mid-80’s about events surrounding the Civil War. Also starring Kirstie Alley. Is this a replacement, or a New Addition? I am not certain. And the store is closed, so there is no one to ask.

SHORTBUS.
* I can’t believe the flexibility of that guy at the beginning. I’m sure he does yoga.

TOTAL RECALL.
* Seriously though, I hope I totally do not recall his governorship.

****